Nottinghamshire

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The Championship returned at long last, but the weather was just as bad as when the Friends Life T20 interrupted proceedings at the start of June, but we still managed (just) to cobble together an XI of the week...

Andrew Strauss (Middlesex) - Scored 50 out of his side's dismal 1st innings total of 98 and then demonstrated he is ready for the South Africans with an unbeaten 127 against Notts at Uxbridge.

Joe Root (Yorkshire) - Many believe the young Yorkshireman is the heir apparent to Strauss at the top of the order of England's Test side and a classy unbeaten career best 222 at Southampton certainly confirmed his candidature.

Kevin Pietersen (Surrey) - Amidst the soap opera of the has he or hasn't he retired from limited overs international cricket, KP's rare foray into county cricket produced a quite stunning 234 not out off just 190 balls against the county champions at Guildford.

Steven Croft (Lancashire) - Hit a career best 154 not out at Guildford but was ultimately overshadowed by the rain and Pietersen's remarkable innings.

Jim Allenby (Glamorgan) - Steered his side to their first win of the season and lifted them off the bottom of Division 2 with a brisk half century at Northampton as the Welsh side successfully chased down 351.

﻿Chris Read (Nottinghamshire) - Struck his fifth fifty plus score of the season to put his side in the ascendancy at Uxbridge before the rain fell again.

Rikki Clarke (Warwickshire) - Hit his third hundred in eight Championship innings to help secure maximum batting points at Edgbaston and then added three wickets to lift Warwickshire to the top of Division 1.

Andre Adams (Nottinghamshire) - Took his tally of Championship wickets for the season to 46 (at just 15.5) with a six wicket 1st innings haul at Uxbridge before the rain prevented Notts from going clear at the top of Division 1.

Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire) - Not for the first time this season the rain fell on Edgbaston, but the New Zealander's five for 77 at least ensured maximum bowling points for his side.

Tim Murtagh (Middlesex) - Grabbed four wickets at Uxbridge to take his season's tally to 34 at 25.

Reece Topley (Essex) - The 18 year old future England Test bowler took three of the four wickets to fall as rain ruined the first part of the Cheltenham Festival.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Riki Wessels (Nottinghamshire) - The full-time website entrepreneur and part-time county cricketer blasted a career best 199 as Notts beat Sussex at Hove for the first time since 1983 to go back to the top of the table.

James Middlebrook (Northamptonshire) - Scored a hundred as an emergency opener and then rounded things off with the ball with a five wicket haul to defeat Gloucestershire in the nick of time at Wantage Road.

Wes Durston (Derbyshire) - Brisk hundred at Chelmsford to help unfancied Derbyshire extend their lead at the top of Division 2.

Mike Powell (Kent) - Second hundred of the season for the revitalised former Glamorgan man as Kent thumped Leicestershire at Canterbury.

Sean Ervine (Hampshire) - Rescued Hampshire's first innings with an unbeaten 104 to help his side to a narrow win over Glamorgan at the Rose Bowl.

Tim Ambrose (Warwickshire) - Steered his side to a tricky winning target of 222 with an unbeaten 89 at The Oval.

Gareth Batty (Surrey) - Ten wickets in the match was still not enough for Surrey to overcome Warwickshire at The Oval.

David Wainwright (Derbyshire) - His renaissance since arriving from Yorkshire continued with a third five for and eight wickets in all as Essex were brushed aside at Chelmsford.

Mat Coles (Kent) - Glorious season continued with another five for to skittle Leicestershire on the opening day at Canterbury. His season's tally now stands at 34 first-class wickets at 18.

David Balcombe (Hampshire) - Took six wickets and made crucial knocks of 39 and 26 to help his side scrape past Glamorgan. The leading wicket taker in the country with 38 at 20.

George Dockrell (Somerset) - Spun Durham into deeper oblivion at Taunton with six for 29 - including four in nine balls - as a young Somerset side continue to impress. Completes our army of spin in this XI.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Bilal Shafayat (Hampshire) - The Comeback Kid grabbed his second opportunity with a redemptive zeal at the Rose Bowl even if he fell seven short of a deserved fairytale hundred.

Phil Jaques (Yorkshire) - Powered the second-highest successful chase in Yorkshire's long history with 160 at Bristol.

Michael Lumb (Nottinghamshire) - Continued his stunning immediate impact at Trent Bridge with 162 and 55 in the draw with Middlesex.

Gary Ballance (Yorkshire) - Played the support role to Jaques in their 203 run stand and then timed his acceleration to perfection to reach his own ton and take Yorkshire over the line.

Tom Maynard (Surrey) - Turned the game at New Road on its head together with a magnificent 143 (off 154 balls) as Surrey narrowly failed to win a game after following on for only the second time since 1868.

Darren Stevens (Kent) - Stared ignominy in the face at Chelmsford when his side were 9 for five to strike a beligerent hundred against Essex.

Geraint Jones (Kent) - Kept Stevens company in a 194 run partnership to score 88 - the other nine Kent wickets added just 31 runs.

Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire) - Bagged only his sixth first-class five wicket haul and then struck a quickfire 38 to help Yorkshire beat the clock at Bristol.

Ollie Rayner (Middlesex) - Hit his maiden Championship hundred after going in as nightwatchman at Trent Bridge and remained unbowed on 143 before taking four 2nd innings Notts wickets with his off-breaks.

Craig Meschede (Somerset) - Took three wickets in each innings as well as hitting a better than a run a ball 62 as the weather denied injury hit Somerset at Chester-le-Street.

Mark Davies (Kent) - Showed his struggling old county what they are missing with a masterful display of seam bowling, which saw him take four Essex wickets for 20 runs in 24.4 immaculate overs at Chelmsford.

...and a quick word for our 12th man, who with apologies to Rory Hamilton-Brown, who continued his good start to the season with a hundred at New Road, is his young team-mate George Edwards, who impressed on debut with five wickets. Just how deep is Surrey's stock of fast bowlers?

Thursday, May 10, 2012

It may not have quite attained quite the same gravitas as other great questions of our time such as Boris or Ken, Redknapp or Hodgson, or indeed Who shot JR, but with the 1st Test against West Indies just one week away, the identity of England’s number six is the topic of fevered speculation – well it is in our neck of the woods anyway.

So, what better for our latest piece for All Out Cricket then to mull over the likely runners and riders, which include in our view the current Surrey captain (that’ll get the inverse snobs going). Have a read of Who Will Be England’s Number Six?and see whether it will be amongst others Mr Unlucky, Mr Splinter, Mr Orange or Mr Rank-Outsider.

Tuesday, May 08, 2012

Matthew Boyce (Leicestershire) – Hit a defiant near six hour ton as his side followed on against Yorkshire but was ultimately unable to prevent an innings defeat at Headingley.

Alviro Petersen (Essex) – Made a triumphant return to Cardiff with 145 out of a first innings total of 259, although rain denied him victory over his former team mates.

Joe Denly (Middlesex) – His promising start at Middlesex continued with 134 to help set up a win over Worcestershire at Lord’s – see also Our County XI to watch in 2012

Ian Bell (Warwickshire) – 2012 had thus far been an annus horribilis, but his 120 on a difficult Edgbaston pitch where the next best score was 45 not only helped his side win again but proved the old adage true of form being temporary and class being permanent.

Kane Williamson (Gloucestershire) – The overseas star saved his side from defeat with a patient and classy 128 after his side had followed on at Derby.

Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire) – Helped the Yorkshire faithful forget Ajmal Shahzad with 182 brisk runs to set up the win at Headingley and underline his credentials as a candidate for the number six spot in the Test side should the selectors choose to look beyond Ravi Bopara.

Anthony McGrath (Yorkshire) – Made an impressive start to his reinvention as an all-rounder batting down the order with an innings of 90 and four for 21 to help enforce the follow-on against Leicestershire.

Keith Barker (Warwickshire) – Took his maiden ten wicket haul as Durham were thumped at Edgbaston to set the early pace in the running for the Most Improved Player of the Season award.

Andre Adams (Nottinghamshire) – Broad, Swann and Anderson were all on show at Old Trafford, but Adams upstaged them all with a first innings seven for 32 to wrest the initiative from the title holders and then three more to wrap things up and continue Nottinghamshire’s and his flying start to the season.

David Willey (Northamptonshire) – Brought his side’s depressing start to the season to an end with eight wickets as Hampshire were put to the sword at Northampton.

Simon Kerrigan (Lancashire) – His side may have made a disastrous start to the defence of their crown but the left arm spinner continues to impress and his seven wickets in the defeat to Notts suggests he at least will enjoy the move back to Old Trafford.

Monday, April 30, 2012

We doubt whether this much rain fell in the first four days of the flood that followed Noah's inaugural launching of the Ark. At this rate, Noah may have to find some room for cricketers to go in two by two also.

As such, picking an XI this week, has proved somewhat challenging, but here goes:

Varun Chopra (Warwickshire) - The man who started last season at warp speed with double hundreds in each of his first two matches has started a bit slower this time - but a good hundred at Hove means he must have been close to Lions selection.

Michael Carberry (Hampshire) - Made his way to a classy unbeaten 84 at the Rose Bowl before being left stranded by the deluge.

Jonathan Trott (Warwickshire) - Made up for the fact that his appearances in the Warwickshire line-up will be rarer than him hitting a six, with a 400 minute 178 at Hove - that was a full 178 runs more than managed by his England colleague Ian Bell.

Steven Croft (Lancashire) - They may have won the title last season, but hundreds were a bit of a rarity for Lancashire with only seven being recorded. Croft's 113 at Taunton was the Red Rose's first of 2012.

Brendan Nash (Kent) - Whilst his former West Indies team mates - the redoubtable Shivnarine Chanderpaul aside - struggled against Australia's bowlers, Kent's overseas import has made an immediate impact and made his way to an unbeaten 132 against Yorkshire before the rain.

Liam Dawson (Hampshire) - Originally a promising left-arm spinner, before moving up to open last season. Could figures of five for 29 against Leicestershire have rekindled his reputation as a twirler? All-rounder status may well await.

Tim Ambrose (Warwickshire) - Forgotten England keeper - yes, he really does have 10 Test caps to his name - scored 75 against his former county as Warwickshire piled on the runs at Hove.

Mat Coles (Kent) - A hugely impressive start to the season with bat and ball continued with four for 70 against Yorkshire at Canterbury and has resulted in a call-up for the Lions and his third appearance in our XI of the season.

Andre Adams (Nottinghamshire) - Yet another five wicket haul for Notts' main weapon with the ball as he targets 60 championship wickets for the third successive season.

Jack Brooks (Northamptonshire) - Only 27 overs were possible in the match, but Brooks still had enough time to impress with four for 22 to put Essex on the rack at Chelmsford.

Harry Gurney (Nottinghamshire) - Robin Hood used to rob from the rich to give to the poor - Nottinghamshire rob repeatedly from Grace Road and Gurney's four for 40 at New Road, suggests that he could prove yet another good steal.

Monday, April 23, 2012

Arul Suppiah (Somerset) – Stepped up in the absence of his skipper and usual opening partner to prove that a top order batsman can flourish at the bowling mecca of Trent Bridge.

Phil Jacques (Yorkshire) – Looked a class apart (along with our number four) as he eased to an effortless hundred at Headingley. How the Australian selectors saw fit to give him just 11 Test caps - despite an average over 47 - defies belief.

Nick Compton (Somerset) – Grandad Denis’ 1947 haul of 3816 first-class runs for the season is still some way off, but Compton is in the form of his life and took his tally to 685 (and we’re still in April) with his second double ton of the season against Notts. Alas, rain prevented Somerset recording a deserved win.

Ravi Bopara (Essex) – After a winter mostly serving drinks and twiddling his thumbs, the unluckiest batsman in the country gave the selectors something to think about with a brilliant unbeaten 117 out of an Essex total of 199 at Headingley.

Sean Ervine (Hampshire) – He may not have reached three figures like Ben Wright did in the same match, but the Zimbabwean’s 75 off 92 balls helped Hampshire chase down a tricky target in the nick of time at Cardiff.

Chris Read (Nottinghamshire) – Baled out his red-faced batsmen with a superb unbeaten 104 (out of a total of 162) against Somerset and now averages in the high forties since the start of 2009. Indeed, he has saved Nottinghamshire’s skin so many times, that Marvel Comics are reportedly developing a super hero in the diminutive Read’s image.

Darren Maddy (Warwickshire) – The veteran had a game to remember at Aigburth with four Lancashire wickets in the first innings followed by a courageous hundred made mostly in partnership with Rikki Clarke that saw Warwickshire turn likely defeat into victory against the team that pipped them for the title last season.

Rikki Clarke (Warwickshire) – Strode to the crease with his side in desperate trouble at 81/7 against the Champions but was unafraid to play his shots in a stand of 224 with Maddy, duly collected 140 runs and promptly turned the match on its head.

Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire) – There weren’t many pickings for spinners on a dismal weekend of weather, but a week after blasting his side to victory with the bat against Somerset, Patel took five Lancashire second innings wickets to help his side to a second win out of two.

Graham Onions (Durham) – Got the first ten-wicket match haul of his career, took the England captain’s scalp in both innings and was the best bowler on show from either side at Lord’s. That's not nudging the selectors that is giving them an almighty shove.

Alan Richardson (Worcestershire) – Some have questioned his inclusion as one of Wisden’s Cricketers of the Year – as if almost single-handedly keeping his county in Division 1 last season wasn’t enough. Ten wickets at The Oval should quieten the doubters for now.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Chris Dent (Gloucestershire): Steadfast six hour ten minute knock of 114 from the 21 year old Bristolian gave his side the initiative over fancied Hampshire at a bowler friendly Rose Bowl.

Michael Lumb (Nottinghamshire): The forgotten hero of England's triumphant World T20 side from 2010, made an instant impression for his new county with a crucial 131 at the Riverside as Notts beat Durham.

Nick Compton (Somerset): After 236 against Cardiff MCCU and 99 against his former county Middlesex, the grandson of Denis continued his run-laden start to the season with a second innings 133, which so nearly helped his side turn the tables on Warwickshire at Edgbaston.

Dawid Malan (Middlesex): It could just quite as easily have been Kent's Mike Powell, but Malan's painstaking 297 minute epic 88 was worth at least a hundred runs more due to an unusually treacherous Lord's surface. He was eventually last man out after shepherding the tail to add 127 for last three wickets to help Middlesex post 256. It proved crucial in the final reckoning.

Michael Yardy (Sussex): In the week his honest and heartfelt account of his depressive illness was published in this year's Wisden, Yardy compiled a captain's knock of 110 to lead his side to a big victory over the reigning champions at Aigburth - where Sussex were hammered in the corresponding fixture last season.

Michael Bates (Hampshire): The purists have been salivating about his keeping, but where were the runs his detractors asked? A second innings 87, which so nearly helped his side avoid defeat against Gloucestershire allied to an eye-catching display behind the stumps should go some way towards answering that one for one of our County XI to watch.

Mat Coles (Kent): Last week he made our XI with his maiden first-class ton, this time it was his bowling that shone with nine wickets as Northamptonshire were put to the sword by an impressive Kent.

Jonathan Clare (Derbyshire): A dream match for the budding all-rounder saw him hit 21 and 43 with the bat and take five for 17 and six for 40 with the ball to help Derbyshire win their first two matches of the season for the first time since 2002.

Jeetan Patel (Warwickshire): Employed as overseas star for his bowling, his county will be grateful that he can bat too after the New Zealander strolled to the crease at number 10 with 52 required to beat Somerset and duly smashed 43 in 36 balls to settle the epitomy of a see-saw clash at Edgbaston.

Steve Magoffin (Sussex): The Australian was too good for Lancashire as he ripped through their fragile batting line-up with seven for 34 in the second innings and nine wickets in the match. His match figures were an astounding 35.5-18-55-9.

David Balcombe (Hampshire): After impressing on loan at Kent last year the 27 year old started the season with a bang with the best figures ever at the Rose Bowl of eight for 71 as part of an 11 wicket match haul.

Friday, April 13, 2012

"Engage brain before mouth" is a simple idiom, but one that time and time again Kevin Pietersen absolutely fails to comprehend, which in combination with his breathtaking and unorthodox strokeplay makes him compulsory viewing both on and off the field of play.

Pietersen's latest foot-in-mouth moment came when he suggested that negative attitudes in England towards the IPL can in the main be put down to "jealously".

Not for the first time, we believe that KP has got it completely and utterly wrong. We can only speak as one English cricket following enclave, but our feelings towards the IPL border on indifference rather than envy or anything more sinister, and we believe that the same is true for most.

First and foremost for all the glitz, glamour and money that is part and parcel of the IPL, it is after all to everyone bar one billion Indians (a not insignificant number, we grant) a foreign domestic league. As such, we care as little for the IPL as we do the Sheffield Shield or indeed Zimbabwe's domestic competitions.

Secondly, it's Twenty 20 cricket, a form of the game that leaves us cold. It has a place to widen the appeal of cricket beyond its traditional geographic, social and demographic groups and it undeniably has helped bolster the coffers of clubs and cricket boards everywhere, but to our tastes at least it is little more than two pumps and a squirt compared to the delights of four or five day cricket.

Finally and perhaps most relevantly, for the last two years, the IPL has started in exactly the same week as the first round of the County Championship - a competition dripping in tradition and history and which still holds a special place for the majority of English cricket followers. For most, a choice between the hit and giggle of a foreign Twenty 20 cricket league and the unique institution that is the domestic County Championship is a straightforward one.

If it wasn't for the fact that the money on offer to players for participating in the IPL was enticing the likes of Owais Shah, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Luke Wright and England players such as Pietersen himself away from County Cricket, the IPL would be a complete irrelevance for most English cricket fans.

We did try the IPL once in 2010, but crucially in that year it started one month before the County season and immediately preceded the World T20 in the Caribbean. This meant that seeing how the likes of Pietersen, Paul Collingwood and Ravi Bopara got on with their respective IPL sides was of a modicum of interest. As soon as the County season started, our interest waned.

KP seems to love attention, celebrity and glamour, so is likely to be drawn to the sometimes crass and over the top spectacle of the IPL. Perhaps he has forgotten that it was County Cricket that first gave him the platform to exhibit the innate and untamed talent that ultimately led to an international career with England where he has delighted and astounded in equal degree.

He has worked tremendously hard to achieve all he has, but without the opportunity afforded him by Nottinghamshire, would he still be a spinner who bats a bit struggling for a game in South African domestic cricket? Only the Gods of cricket know the answer to that.

From what we've read, heard or seen there isn't much jealously out there towards the IPL. A touch of anger maybe for the loss of an important player to one's county (or country in the case of the West Indies), even some good old fashioned English snobbery towards the nouveau riche, but for the most part it is pure indifference. It's just another cricket competition being played in the world at the same time as the revered County Championship, nothing more, nothing less.

Monday, April 09, 2012

Martin Guptill (Derbyshire) - With his side just 22 runs ahead on 1st innings, the New Zealander struck a brisk 137 to help set up a win and prove there is more to him than the safe pair of hands that probably helped end the Test career of Phil Hughes.

Billy Godleman (Essex) - Equalled his career best score with a patient 130 to put Essex in charge against a weak Gloucestershire side at Chelmsford.

Luke Wells (Sussex) - The 21 year old's fourth first-class hundred may have been in vain at The Oval, but Mark Ramprakash was so impressed that not only did he compare Wells to Alastair Cook, but added that Wells was "possibly better technically".

Riki Wessels (Nottinghamshire) - The budding web site entrepreneur showed he can bat a bit too by striking his first Championship hundred for Notts as his side recovered to beat Worcestershire after being bowled out on the opening day for 118. The extra publicity should do his flourishing business the world of good - perhaps Alan Sugar should consider donning the pads too?

Jonny Bairstow (Yorkshire) - He may not be the finished article with the gloves, but his brilliant hundred at Headingley not only helped save Yorkshire against Kent but confirmed he is a real contender for the number six spot in England's Test side.

Tom Maynard (Surrey) - Revived Surrey's 1st innings with a brisk 86 not out and then added a crucial 136 with Rory Hamilton-Brown in the 2nd innings to give his side a decisive advantage. A good start to the season for one of our XI to watch.

Mat Coles (Kent) - Doesn't get in for his supposed strongest suit with the ball, but for his maiden first-class hundred from number nine at Headingley. His all-round aspirations appear to be well-founded.

David Wainwright (Derbyshire) - Starred in his first game since moving from Headingley by bowling his side to victory over Northants with figures of six for 33.

Vernon Philander (Somerset) - It was hardly surprising that the man who takes wickets for fun at Test level opened his Somerset account with a five wicket haul at Taunton. Ended up with match figures of seven for 81 from 38 overs.

Robbie Joesph (Leicestershire) - Took 12 wickets on his debut for the County as Leicestershire recovered from losing wickets to the first two balls of the match at Grace Road and equal the number of championship wins they managed in the entire season last year.

George Dockrell (Somerset) - Only appeared once last season, but an immaculate exhibition of spin bowling, which saw him take six for 27 in 20.1 overs and eight wickets in the match against Middlesex at Taunton means we will see much more of the talented Irishman in 2012.

Thursday, April 05, 2012

Last year we selected ten players to watch at the outset of the season and with the exception of Adam Lyth and Adil Rashid, for once our predictions proved pretty accurate. This year, we've opted to name an XI to shine.

Joe Denly (Middlesex, Age 26, First-Class batting average 34.47): Seemed to be the next man in line when he broke into the England limited overs side in the summer of 2009, but then suffered a long barren run until a resurgence in form in the second half of last summer. A change of scenary at Lord's may well add impetous to the revival.

Joe Root (Yorkshire, 21, 35.03): Impressed many shrewd observers in his rookie season and is a good bet to develop further in his sophomore year. Of all the young batsmen in County Cricket, it is Root who appears to have the assurance, technique and resoluteness required to be a potential successor to Andrew Strauss when he eventually makes way at the top of the order in the Test side.

James Taylor (Nottinghamshire, 22, 50.38): Looks as classy as a first-class average of 50 would suggest. The move from Grace Road will give him and the England selectors an opportunity to see how he fares against Division 1 bowling attacks. The number six spot in the Test side is up for grabs and a good debut season at Trent Bridge could end with Taylor filling the role.

James Vince (Hampshire, 21, 31.91): Has a look of Michael Vaughan with his classical, upright and attacking style, but has thus far failed to demonstrate the consistent returns his obvious talent would justify. A season in the company of Simon Katich at the Rose Bowl could be just what the young buck needs.

Tom Maynard (Surrey, 23, 30.98): Made the great leap forward in his first season at The Oval with 1,000 runs in Division 2 at 40 and with three hundreds. An aggressive, fast-scoring batsman who is a good outside bet for England's squad to defend the World T20 in Sri Lanka in September.

Ben Stokes (Durham, 20, bat - 43.64, ball - 37.35): One of our ones to watch in 2010 and 2011, Stokes justified our faith by making a storming start to last season before injury ruled him out for six weeks in mid-summer. Has averaged over 40 with the bat in the last two years and continues to improve with the ball. Just don't call him the new Andrew Flintoff - not yet, anyway.

﻿Adil Rashid (Yorkshire, 24, bat 34.09, ball 34.46): Had a poor 2011 and his progress seems to have stalled, but it must be remembered that this leg spinner is still only 24 and already has 280 first-class wickets under his belt. Whispers of a poor work ethic and inability to develop persist, but we're backing him to come good eventually - a much improved 2012 would be a good start.

Michael Bates (Hampshire, 21, 15.57): Many including James Foster have raved about his glovework, which is a good enough recommendation for us. However, the young keeper will need to improve significantly on his batting average otherwise like Foster and Chris Read before him a long international career will elude him.

﻿Stuart Meaker (Surrey, 23, ball 30.07, bat 16.17): Very fast and extremely impressive in Surrey's promotion winning side last season. So much so, that he earned a call up to England's one day squad for the ill fated series in India. With Surrey's potentially lethal attack likely to make a big splash in Division 1, this South African bowler is a good bet for further international honours.

Simon Kerrigan (Lancashire, 21, ball 24.32): Emerged from the shadow of Gary Keedy to devastating effect by taking nine for 51 in the penultimate game of last season to keep Lancashire's Championship hopes alive. Could well become the first-choice spinner as his side seek to defend their title.

Reece Topley (Essex, 18, ball 23.55): The 6' 7" bowler took to first-class cricket like a duck to water with 14 wickets in his first three championship matches last season and looks to be a thrilling prospect. With prodigies like Topley around, England's selectors really could be forgiven for believing that fast bowlers grow on English oak trees.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

The 2010 Champions had a disappointing defence of their title last season. Can they challenge again in 2012?

Strengths

James Taylor, Adam Voges and Michael Lumb have arrived to supplement what now looks a very strong batting line-up that also features Alex Hales, Samit Patel and skipper Chris Read. Andre Adams continues to lead the line and will be looking to repeat his success of 2010 (68 Championship wickets) and 2011 (67).

Weaknesses

The bowling is over-reliant on Adams a situation likely to be exacerbated by Darren Pattinson missing the first two months of the season. International call-ups have permanently deprived Notts of Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann, and Patel, Hales and Taylor could all join them this coming season.

Main man

Of all the young batsmen jostling for position as next man in to the Test side, James Taylor looks to be the most likely to force his way in. A big debut season following his arrival from Leicestershire could help him do that sooner rather than later.

Look out for

Chris Read's heroics with the bat. We've lost count of the number of times he has saved his side.

Prediction

6th - Stronger bowling attacks may successfully raid a helpful Trent Bridge wicket too often for this to be anything but a season of struggle for the champions of two years ago.

Thursday, December 01, 2011

How do we know? Well, he must be if the reason he gave for pulling out of the IPL Auction is accurate.

Patel has foregone the opportunity to make a bit of extra cash in favour of setting his sights on securing a spot in England’s Test side:

“My biggest ambition is to play Test cricket and I need to score a high volume of runs in the County Championship to push my case. If I was selected for the IPL then I would miss several Championship matches and that won’t help me at a time when I need to do everything I can to impress the selectors.”

Whilst Patel’s decision will doubtless ingratiate him to Andy Flower and Geoff Miller, it’s hard to see Patel forcing his way into the England side.

Perhaps his best opportunity will come this winter, when England may deem it necessary to pick a second spinner in Sri Lanka and in the UAE against Pakistan. If so, England could replace a batsman with a spinner and move Matt Prior up to number six.

Patel isn’t in the same league as Monty Panesar as a bowler, but he does add more ballast to the batting, so it is conceivable that he has a chance – albeit just a morsel - of tucking into Test cricket.

So perhaps Patel’s sacrifice is a calculated move rather than a ridiculously optimistic one and his name will appear when the squad to tour the UAE is selected in the coming weeks.

Although given that we understand he has also pulled out of the Annual Nottingham Chapati Eating Contest to focus on being the slimmest cricketer on the county circuit come the start of next season, it would seem that Samit is a glass half full kind of guy.

Friday, October 07, 2011

The ultimate multi-sports genius. Fry captained England at cricket, played 26 Tests and scored nearly 31,000 first-class runs. He also set the world long jump record, played football for England and rugby for Oxford University, Blackheath and the Barbarians. He even nearly reputedly became King of Albania. Hardly surprising then that even in his seventies he was still able to perform his party piece: jumping backwards onto a mantelpiece from a standing position

Martin Donnelly

Widely recognised as one of New Zealand’s greatest ever batsmen even if War and his country’s fledgling status restricted him to just seven Tests. His one appearance at fly half for England though resulted in a resounding and then record win for Ireland at Lansdowne Road.

Monkey Hornby

The incongruously named Hornby, who was known as Monkey because of his small stature and energetic persona, was one of only two men to captain England at both cricket and rugby as well as being Lancashire’s skipper for 20 years. He led England to defeat at the Oval in 1882, about which the famous Sporting Life obituary was penned and the Ashes born.

Andrew Stoddart

The other man to captain England at both sports was the leading centre of his era and led England on two Ashes expeditions Down Under despite not taking up cricket seriously until he was 22. Beset with health and financial problems, he took his own life at the age of 52.

Tuppy Owen-Smith

Over 75 years before South African born Kevin Pietersen made his Test debut for England, Owen-Smith arguably went one better when having already scored a hundred for his country against England at Headingley in 1929, he turned out for and eventually captained England’s rugby side as an attacking full-back just one year later. A leg-spinner, his maiden first-class wicket was none other than the great Wally Hammond.

Sammy Woods

Representing South Africa at cricket and England at rugby is one thing, but playing Test cricket for BOTH Australia and England as Sydney born Woods did is quite another. A tremendously fast and strong wing-forward, he was also capped 13 times for England at rugby.

Rob Andrew

The hero of England’s last-gasp win over Australia in the 1995 World Cup Quarter Final was also a very good cricketer, captaining Cambridge University and scoring a first-class ton against Notts. He also snared a young Mike Atherton with his off-spin whilst turning out for Yorkshire seconds.

Rudi van Vuuren

The only man to represent his country at the cricket AND rugby world cups and he did it in the same year too – 2003, starring in the former with five for 43 for Namibia against England and making a late cameo in the rugby world cup against Romania. It wasn’t all good for van Vuuren though with Darren Lehmann taking 28 runs off one of his overs.

Jeff Wilson

The legendary full back scored 44 tries in his 60 Tests, but this Double All Black’s international rugby career was also sandwiched by four one day internationals for the Kiwis as a precocious 19 year old and two more 12 years later.

Maurice Turnbull

Long-serving Glamorgan captain Turnbull, not only played Test cricket for England and rugby for Wales, he also represented Wales at hockey too. Sadly, his youthful vigour was snuffed out by a German sniper in Normandy in 1944.

Dusty Hare

The Leicester full back was an unlikely hero of the young Reverse Sweep, with Hare’s trusty boot helping England to the Grand Slam in 1980. His cricket career was less successful however, with only a modest 171 runs at 12.21 from his ten games for Notts.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Back at the outset of the season, we named our ten players to look out for (see links at bottom of this piece). We checked their progress halfway through the season (again see links at bottom), but with all the results in and the marking completed, now is the time to announce who graduated and who is going back to school next season.

A real breakthrough. Topped the Championship averages for Notts and struck three hundreds in 12 matches. Impressive limited overs form earned him a call-up to the England T20 side. ﻿His hit over the top style is reminiscent of a right-handed Marcus Trescothick.

Made his England debut and is already an integral member of the 50 and 20 over sides. The only area for improvement seems to be in the longer version of the game, where his form in the Championship was generally disappointing.

Whilst the stats don't necessarily warrant a first-class award, the Surrey skipper had an impressive year: he took on the added responsibility of opening the batting and finished as the county's second highest run-scorer and led Surrey back into Division 1. The cherry on the top was his 78 off 62 balls in the CB40 final, which meant that the county finally got their hands on some silverware again. Made our County Championship Division 2 XI of the year and was anointed as a County Cricket 2011 hero - which not everyone seems to have agreed with...

Injury interrupted his season at the wrong time, but still managed to debut for England's ODI and T20 sides, where he struggled against spin. Clearly has a big future and as shown by his five sixes in an over against Hampshire is an impact cricketer.

Scintillating performances in the CB40 capped off with a fine but ultimately futile innings in the final at Lord's. Struggled in the Championship for the second successive season. Another to receive an England limited-overs call-up.﻿

Call-up to the England T20 squad for the two games against West Indies perhaps hid what was a fairly average season despite being given some helpful wickets at the Rose Bowl. Did well in the t20 competition, where he would have learnt a lot from watching Shahid Afridi and Imran Tahir.

Despite starting the season with a bang with an 11 wicket haul at Worcester, Rashid took a significant backwards step in 2011 and was overtaken by the likes of Borthwick, Briggs and Patel in the pecking order of English spinners. 2012 will be a big year for the leg-spinner.

An unmitigated disaster for the leading Division 1 run scorer of 2010. He flopped more dramatically than Kevin Costner's ill-conceived Waterworld movie. It's back to school for the dunce of the class next season.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Back at the outset of the 2011 County Cricket season, we made what has turned out to have been a disastrous set of predictions (see links at the bottom of this piece), which at the weekend (as the picture above depicts) resulted in public humilation and more rotten tomatoes coming our way than the Yorkshire squad has had from its irate members and chairman.

What we got right

Not much actually. We did correctly predict that Middlesex and Surrey would challenge for promotion to Division 1, but there again we tipped Kent to go up as Champions, so we can hardly sing from the rooftops about that one.

What we got wrong

Pretty much everything else actually. We predicted that Warwickshire and Lancashire would be embroiled in a relegation battle and that the former and Worcestershire would be the two to go down.

We also prophesised that perennial bridesmaids Somerset would emerge as Champions with Durham, Yorkshire and Hampshire (in that order) making up the rest of the top four – it’s not just Colin Graves who thinks that Yorkshire’s performances this season were disgraceful.

Supporters of Northamptonshire and Derbyshire amongst others will also doubtless be happy to remind us of our woeful predictions for their team’s fortunes too.

What does this say?

Apart from the fact that we are clearly the most dreadful of tipsters, it also highlights how open the County Championship is – a fact that we believe makes it the best league competition in the world in any sport. Well that’s our excuse anyway.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Marcus Trescothick (Somerset) - 1673 runs at 79.66: Scored 300 runs more than any other batsman despite missing his side's last three games and has once and for all usurped Mark Ramprakash as the premier batsman in domestic cricket. Agonisingly fell just 22 runs short of achieving the Holy Grail of a 1,000 runs before the end of May. Smashed six hundreds including one in each innings against Yorkshire in May.

Stephen Moore (Lancashire) - 1013 runs at 40.52: Others scored more runs (principally Alex Hales with 1023 runs at 51.15 from just 12 Championship matches), but Moore's knack of making vital contributions at critical times played a leading role in Lancashire's title success. His unbeaten 124 anchored his side in a stiff run chase at Trent Bridge, his 169 not out against Hampshire set up a crucial last gasp win in the penultimate round of matches and the former Worcestershire batsman finished off with 71 from 55 to spur the charge to victory on a tumultuous final day at Taunton.

Michael Carberry (Hampshire) - 793 runs at 56.64: His successful comeback from a life-threatening debilitating illness was one of the feelgood stories of the summer. Three splendid hundreds in nine games included a career best 300 not out against Yorkshire and a hundred on the final day of the season to help deny Warwickshire the title. Carberry's return coincided with Hampshire's revival but came too late to save them from relegation.

Murray Goodwin (Sussex) - 1372 runs at 52.76: Zimbabwe's loss was yet again Sussex's gain as Goodwin anchored a steady return to Division 1 for the county he helped inspire to three titles in the noughties. Four hundreds were topped by his 274 against Division 1 whipping boys Yorkshire. Gets into our XI ahead of Vikram Solanki (1148 runs at 42.51) who performed a similar role as Worcestershire defied the odds to stay up with Sussex.

Dale Benkenstein (Durham) - 1353 runs at 61.50: Durham's title charge may have spluttered, but Benkenstein was consistency personified with 13 scores of 50 (including four hundreds) or more from 26 innings to once again prove that he is definitely not a mercenary.

Jonathan Bairstow (Yorkshire) - 1015 runs at 46.13: Having finally removed the monkey from his back in reaching his maiden ton in his 59th first-class innings (and promptly turning it into a double), the sublime Bairstow didn't look back. An impressive season culminated in a stunning ODI debut at Cardiff and Bairstow should clearly be exonerated from the ire heaped on his team-mates by Yorkshire chairman Colin Graves after their ignominious relegation. Scores his runs quickly as a Championship strike rate of a touch under 70 ably demonstrates and looks to have the talent and nerve to forge an international career as a specialist batsman.

Chris Woakes (Warwickshire) - 56 wickets at 21.78; 579 runs at 48.25: Injury may have restricted him to 11 matches, but that did not lessen the impact he made with both bat and ball, as well as the huge influence he had on Warwickshire's title challenge. His performance with the ball was particularly telling and a strike rate of 43.5 is indicative of the regularity with which he struck. Pips team-mate Rikki Clarke as well as Samit Patel, Ben Stokes and Ian Blackwell to the all-rounder's spot in our XI.

Andre Adams (Nottinghamshire) - 67 wickets at 22.61; 551 runs at 23.95: Last year's champions may have faltered badly in their attempt to retain their crown, but that wasn't down to 2010's leading wicket-taker Adams who was once again outstanding and pips Alan Richardson (the leading wicket-taker in Division 1 with 73 wickets at 24.42), Boyd Rankin and Ryan Sidebottom as the third seamer in our XI. Adams also added vital ballast to the lower order with five fifties and a strike rate of 100.

Glen Chapple (Lancashire, Captain) - 55 wickets at 19.81; 365 runs at 19.21: Despite battling leg problems all season, the lion-hearted Chapple battled on to inspire his troops and write his name in Lancashire folklore. Delivered time and time again with the ball - no more so than in the final game at Taunton where he took three 2nd innings wickets despite a bad hamstring tear - and also added useful late order runs. Clearly, a man you would want in the trenches with you, Chapple epitomised the spirit and togetherness that took Lancashire to the promised land after 77 long years in the Championship wilderness. And Yorkshire fans, he was born in Skipton...

Kyle Hogg (Lancashire) - 50 wickets at 18.80; 365 runs at 21.47: Started the season late but immediately made up for lost time with an 11 wicket haul at the Rose Bowl and ended up with a half-century of wickets at a phenomenal strike rate of a wicket every 37 balls - the best by far of anyone with more than 10 wickets. Also contributed several useful cameos with the bat.

Gary Keedy (Lancashire) - 61 wickets at 23.63: With Chapple and Hogg plundering wickets at one end, the experienced Keedy waded in at the other with 61 priceless wickets. His success rubbed off on his spin twin and likely successor Simon Kerrigan. Keedy is the slow bowling option in our XI ahead of Monty Panesar who may have taken more wickets (69), but did so at a higher average and ten balls more per wicket.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Stephen Moore (Lancashire) - Beautifully timed unbeaten 169 (off 230 balls) to set up Lancashire's pre-lunch declaration on the final day of their must-win game against Hampshire.

Ian Westwood (Warwickshire) - Solid 171 laid the foundations for victory over Nottinghamshire as Warwickshire took the top spot in Division 1 for the first time this season.

Alex Hales (Nottinghamshire) - The lone star for last year's champions with 72 (out of 238) before carrying his bat for 106 (out of 222) in the innings defeat to rampaging Warwickshire.

Joe Denly (Kent) - On a week where opening batsman shined, the newly resurgent Denly's career best 199 and second innings 68 were still not enough to save Kent from defeat against Derbyshire.

Jim Troughton (Warwickshire) - The skipper picked an opportune time to score his first Championship ton for 25 months to pip the likes of Zander de Bruyn and Will Durston for a spot in this week's XI.

Sean Ervine (Hampshire) - Nearly denied Lancashire with an uncharacteristically watchful three hour vigil for a first-innings 128 and also picked up three wickets.

John Simpson (Middlesex) - The promising wicketkeeper-batsman impressed again with 95 in Middlesex's rain affected encounter with Glamorgan.

Rikki Clarke (Warwickshire) - Took his season's tally to 45 wickets, but it was his barnstorming 126 (from just 101 balls) that caught the eye at Edgbaston and nearly ruined our casserole.

Ryan Sidebottom (Yorkshire) - Ensured Yorkshire at least went down fighting and ended their disappointing season with a win by taking 11 for 98 - including a second innings seven for 37 - against Somerset.

Simon Kerrigan (Lancashire) - It may not have been Old Trafford, but Kerrigan's convincing take on Jim Laker kept Lancashire in the title hunt at Liverpool. The final wicket of his nine for 51 (and match haul of 12 wickets) came just in the nick of time.

David Balcombe (Kent) - The on-loan paceman took his tally to 33 wickets in just five matches with nine against Derbyshire.

12th man: Chris Jordan (Surrey) - We don't normally select a 12th man, but we'll make an exception this week. Jordan hit two career bests with the bat - following up his 1st innings 71 with an unbeaten 79 second time around. He then got a career best with the ball too as Surrey's promotion charge gathered further momentum.

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Forget the massively over-hyped Premier League, Serie A or even the two-horse race that is the Primera Liga, by far the most exciting league competition in the world is the English County Championship.

Any lingering doubts as to the merits of splitting a hitherto single 18 team (17 before Durham's entry in the early 1990s) Championship into two divisions must surely now be dispelled by what has once again been a fascinating and close fought battle.

With just two rounds of matches to go, every county in Division 1 bar the reigning champions Nottinghamshire are either embroiled in the fight for the title or desperately battling to avoid the relegation trap door.

Will it be Durham, Warwickshire, Lancashire or rank outsiders Somerset for the title? And which two of Sussex, Worcestershire, Yorkshire and Hampshire will suffer the ignominy of demotion to Division 2?

Whilst in Division 2, there is a four-way battle for the two promotion spots. Middlesex look to have sown up one of these and in all realism it is now between season-long pacesetters Northamptonshire and fast-finishing Surrey for the second spot. Gloucestershire are waiting in the wings should both of these suffer a monumental slip over the next ten days.

Last week we asked if anyone actually wanted to win the County Championship this season such have been the twists and turns of an entirely unpredictable competition. But it's time to stick our necks out and whilst (as a neutral Sussex fan) we'd love to see Lancashire finally end their title famine and rate Durham as the strongest side, we feel that Warwickshire will prevail - the presence of Chris Woakes (strangely ignored by England) and Shivnarine Chanderpaul will (in our opinion) tip the scales their way.

As for relegation, Yorkshire look doomed having only one game left to play and Hampshire have probably left it too late - that at least leaves Sussex safe. They will be replaced by Middlesex and Northants - it would be just too cruel for them not to go up now.

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